Cinematographic film registration



Feb. 13, 1945.

G. F. RACKETT CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILM REGISTRATION Filed April 24, 1942 544 j. f/ C @atenten i3? 2,369,176 @ENElWTQGRAPmC FILM vREGIS.IRA'I'Illiif Application April 24, 1942, Serial No. 440,324

9 Claims.

' In various processes of colo'r cinematography it is necessary to register a plurality of color-separation films with a single composite film. Thus in the imbibition process a blank lm is successively printed with color-separation matrices to form a composite film; and, in the case of a multi-layer composite film having the differently sensitized layers `joined together with transparent adhesive, after the nlm has been exposed and developed it has been proposed to transfer the layers to separate bases respectively to form color-separation films, the transfer involving the successive registration of the separate bases with the composite film preparatory to peeling H the layers.

The best way of effecting the aforesaid registration consists in bringing the films together on an endless belt or other carrier having teeth which t the sprocket `holes of the films and travel in an orbital path. However it has been found that, notwithstanding the utmost care in making the carrier, the position of the teeth on the carrier varies slightly throughout the length of the carrier, thereby giving rise to registration errors. In imbibition printing the error consists in that the superposed prints from the color-separation matrices upon the composite lm do not register exactly, thereby causing color fringes and imperfect definition. In transferring picture layers from a composite multi-layer nlm to form colorseparation films, the error consists in that corresponding pictures on the color-separation films do not bear the same relation to their adjacent sprocket holes; consequently in using the colorseparation films to produce composite prints, by imbibition or otherwise, the superposed prints do not register exactly.

ent lms. In a more specific aspect the method bases are fed to the carrier at the successivelocations, preferably between the carrier and the composite film; and in the case of imbibition printing the matrices are fed to the carrier at the successive locations. preferably with the composite film between the carrier and the matrices respectively. While the composite film may continue with the carrier past the aforesaid loca.'

tions, preferably the composite film is fed from the carrier with each color-separation film and then returned to the carrier with the next colorseparation film. In transferring the layers of a multi-layer lm, the layer to be removed is preferably loosened somewhat before the composite iilm is fedto the carrier,V the loosening being sufcient to permit the layer to be peeled from the composite film, but not suflicient to permit it to shift edgewise of the film. If the preliminary Objects of the present invention are to overcome the aforesaid registration difliculty and to obtain perfect registration notwithstanding the inevitable none-uniformity in successive teeth throughout the length of s, register belt or other carrier having an endless series of register teeth.

in one aspect the present invention involves a method oi successively registering a plurality of films having corresponding record sequences on an endless belt or other carrier traveling in an orbial path and having a succession of resister teeth engaging the sprocket holes of' the iilms, the method consisting in feeding the iilrns on the carrier so that the same teeth engage the holes of the different films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby nonuuniformity in successive teeth has correspending edect .in the registration of the :linen treatment to which the composite film is subjected-before it feeds to the carrier substantially affects the film upon which the picture layers are supported, the bases oi the colorseparation films are preferably subjected to the same treatment so that they will be similarly affected. For example if the preliminary treatment is a liquid treatment which causes the films to expand, both the composite film and the color-separation films should be subjected to the same treatment so that they expand equally.

lin another aspect the invention involves ap-` paratus comprising an endless belt or other carrier having a succession of register teeth engaging in the sprocket holes of the films, together with means for successively feeding the color separation -lms into con* Jct with the ccmpositelm on the register teeth so that corresponding sprocket holesl of the different films engage the same teeth, whereby non-uniformity in the teeth throughout the length e? the carrier has corresponding eiiect in the registration of the dierent colons-operation films with the carrier are distributed at spaced locations along the orbital path of the carrier.

For the purpose of illustration typical embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the ac companying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic -view of stripping apl paratus for transferring the picture layers of a composite lm to separate bases to form colorseparation lms;

Figs. 2 to 9 inclusive are sections on lines 2 to Q of Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. l is a diagrammatic view of imbibition printing apparatus; and

Fig. 11 is a section on line I I-ll of Fig. l0.

One ,type of composite llm suitable for use on the stripping machine of Fig. l is illustrated in Fig. 3. This type comprises an ordinary base 6 with three layers of emulsion l, 3 and 9, the layer I being permanently mounted on the base in the usual way, the layer 8 being mounted on the layer 'i with an alcohol-soluble adhesive and the layer 9 being mounted on the layer with a water-soluble adhesive. In this way the layer 9 may be loosened with water without loosening the layer 8 and the layer t may be subsequently removed without loosening the `layer However it will be understood that the present invention, at least in its broader aspects, is independent of the particular construction of the composite. lm. As shown in Fig. 6 the separate .base material iB to which the layers of emulsion are to be transferred may comprise ordinary cinematographic film base.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration in Figs. 1

to 9 comprises two drums or sheaves H over which is trained an endless belt i2 along the margins of which are mounted rows of register pins or teeth It adapted to fit into the sprocket holes of the films. mounted on the belt in various ways, they are preferably fitted into perforations in the belt corresponding to the perforations in the films with heads it seating against the back of the belt. Preferably both the belt and the pins are formed of metal and the heads ifi Aare soldered to the back of the belt.

As shown in Fig. 1 the composite nlm e is fed into the machine from a reel I8 and the un coated base material It is fed from a reel il, the lm l@ being fed to ,the belt between a pair of rollers I3 whichseat the film rmly on the belt with the teeth it projecting through the sprocket holes of the lm, and the composite film 6 being fed to the belt between a similar pair of seating rolls i9 in superposed relationv to the lm i6. In transit to the belt the comv posite film feeds through a water tank 2@ to soften the adhesive between the layers t and the lm zigzagging back and forth over opposed pairs of guide rolls 2l to aord time for the water to soften the adhesive somewhat but not sufi mitronly a small amount of leakage, this leakage ybeing continuously replaced by suitable supply means. After the belt emerges from the While the pins may be.

assalto tank the films are again pressed together and against the belt by means of another pair of seating rolls 23. As the belt starts around the sheave Il another roller presses the lm snugly against the'belt. In the curved portion ofthe path of the belt, throughout approximately 180 of the periphery of the drum, the

lai

pins on the belt separate fanwise to force the films more tightly together. After the films are thus subjected to the liquid treatment and then pressed together on the belt they travel with the -belt a sulcient distance for the top layer 9 to adhere more rmly to the new base it than to the underlying layer 8, the layer 9 adhering to the new base by virtue of the tacky nature of the gelatin of othel` material constituted in the layer as a result of the previous water treatment. Thus as the films travel together on the belt they are held in exact registration by the pins on the belt while the layer 9 is transferred from the composite lrn to the base l0.

After the layer 9 has become firmly attached to the new base both films are fed from the belt over a roller 26 between a pair of rollers 'l where the two films are peeled apart, the composite film 6 with its remaining layers l and 8 (Fig. 4) feeding to the'right and the base l0 with the layer t (Fig. 7) feeding to the left. The film lil loops back and forth over pairs of guide rolls 23 in a drying compartment 29 until the film is dry and then it feeds out to a take-up roll 30. The composite film S loops back and forth over pairs of guide rolls 3l in the drying compartment and then feeds over guide rolls 32 and 33 to a second station where it is fed back to the belt in superposed relationship to a new base 3d (Fig. 8) to which the layer 8 is to be transferred.

At the second station a tank 35, corresponding to tank 2l) at the first station, is arranged to wet both films in like manner. If the layer is joined to the layer i by means of an alcohol-soluble adhesive, the tank 35 contains alcohol. The blankV film 35i feeds into the tank from a feed roll 3%, then loops back and forth over pairs of guide rolls 'i and then feeds to the belt between a pair of seating rolls 38. The composite film l loops back and forth over pairs of guide rolls 39 and then feeds to the belt in superposed relation to the base 3B between a pair of seating rolls iil. After the belt emerges from the tank 35 it passes between another pair of pressure rolls il and thence under a pressure roll t2, thence around vthe left-hand drum Il and thence throughout a stretch sufficiently long to permit the layer 2 to become rmly attached to the new base 3d, whereupon the two -lms feed from the belt over the guide roll d3 to a `pair of guide rolls it where the two films are peeled apart. The composite film 8, with only layer l remaining thereon (Fig. 5), feeds to the left through the drying compartment Q5 and thence to take-up reel 66 and the base 3, with the layer t adhering thereto (Fig. 9), feeds to the right through the drying compartment and thence to the take-up roll tl. Thus the composite lm of Fig. 3 is converted into the three color-separation films shown in Figs. 5, 7 and 9.

The imbibition printing apparatus shown in Figs. 10 and 11 comprises two drums or sheaves ai with a pin belt 52, like belt i2 in Fig. l, trained thereover. imbibition from matrices 5t and 55, is fed from the reel 5t through a water tank El and thence to the belt 52 between seating rolls Et. The ma# triX 56 is fed from a reel 59 through a tank @t The blank nlm 53, to ybe printed'by aseaire containing dye o the appropriate color, thence through a wash tank t! to wash off the dye superdcially adhering to the surface of the film, thence through the water tanls l and thence to the belt iii-l between the seating rolls 62. The coated face of the bien is directed away from the belt the printing side of the matrix it is directed toward the belt, so that the two films are pressed inte face-to-face contact by the seating rolls 62. after the lms emerge from the tank 5l they are again pressed together by a pair of pressure rolls t3 and a single pressure roll i3d. After the two films have travelled in contact for a sufcient distance for the dye to be imbibed from the matris tc the blank, both films are fed off the belt over a guide roller S5 and thence between a pair of rolls fait where the two lms are peeled apart. The matrix iid then loops back and forth over pairs oi opposed guide rolls in the drying compartment il and thence passes to the take-up roll titi. After looping back and `forth between pairs of opposed guide rolls in the drying compartment the blank b3 feeds over guide rolls 69 into another water tank li where it is again conditioned to receive an imbibition print before it returns to the belt between the seating rolls l2. After passing through dye and wash tanks corresponding to 60 and tl, the second matrix 55 'A ieede through the tank 'il to the belt t2 between seating rolls lli. Alfter the films emerge from the tank 7i they are again pressed together by the seating rolls it and the pressure roll l5. After continuing in contact with each other throughout a length of the belt path sufcient to affect the dye transfer, the two films are fedirom the belt over a roll i6 to a pair of rolls 'Il where the two iiims are peeled apart, the printed film 53 passing through the drying compartment 78 to the takeup reel l0 and the matrix 55 passing through the drying compartment to a take-up reel 80.

Thus the composite nlm 53 is printed with two series of pictures of complementary colors from the color-separation matrices 56 and 55. Instead of only two series of pictures, three series of different colors may be printed, in which case the belt may be trained over two pairs of sheaves in the form of a double loop as in the Kienninger Patent 1,803,115 or three sheaves may be located at three corners of a triangle so that in passing from sheave to sheave the belt would successively pass along the three sides 'of the triangle, a colorseparation nlm being fed to the belt along each of the three sides of the triangle.

'Various details of construction of parts of the apparatus diagrammatically represented in Figs. i to i0 are disclosed in the prior patents, 1,675,743, 1,704,328, 1,707,695, 1,707,699, 1,707,710, 1,707,733, 1,928,714, 2,257,254 and 2,271,572.

According to this invention the color-separation films .are fed into Contact with the composite film on the aforesaid belt so that corresponding sprocket holes of the different films engage the same teeth of the belt. Thus in Fig. l the teeth which engage the sprocket holes of the composite hlm adjacent each picture also engage the sprocket holes of both of the color-separation films lll and 3f-i adjacent corresponding scenes. For example the films t and 36 are fed to the belt at the seating rolls S0 so that the teeth which engage the sprocket holes of the two films adiaceni; the iirst picture are the same teeth which engaged the lms t and l0 at the seating rolls4 i@ adjacent the first picture of the first scene on the film t; and of course the same is true of each succeeding picture of the entire series.

Likewise in the imbibition printing method illustrated in Fig. l0 the matrices are fed to the belt so that the teeth which engage the sprocket holes of the first matrix adjacent the' iirst picture are the same teeth which engage the sprocket holes of each succeeding matrix adjacent the first picture.

l@ne way 0f identifying the different'pins is to apply numbers to the belt, as for example a number adjacent each pin or a number associated with each group' of pins corresponding to the length of one picture space. However in practice it is usually suicient merely to mark one pin or one pair of pins, as ffor example by giving this pin or pair of pins a distinctive color, in which case each of the lms may be fed to the belt so that this particular pin or pair of pins is opposite the rst picture of each lm. If desired the splice where the two ends of the belt are joined together may be used as the marker.

In the case of the integral pack negatives the different color-aspect records in the respective layers should usually be developed differently. For example, it may be desirable to use different developers or diferenttimes of development or both. According to the present invention this can readily be done by developing the respective layers after they have been-transferred to their new bases.

It should be understood that the present disclosure isfor the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modiiications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

4 il claim: y

l. In the art of color cinematography the method of successively registering color-separation films with a composite film on a carrier having a succession o f register teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the films, characterized by successively feeding the color-separation films into contact with the composite iilm on the register teeth with the same teeth engaging the holes of the different films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby non-uniformity in the teeth throughout the length of the carrier has corresponding eiect in the registration of the diiTerent color-separation films with the composite film.

2. In the art of registering color-separation lms with a composite nlm on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and having a succession of registered teeth engaging the sprocket holesof the lrns, the method which comprises successively feeding the color-separation films into contact with the composite film on the blt with the same teeth engaging the holes of the different color-separation films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby non-uniformity in successive teeth throughout the length of the belt has corresponding effect in the registration of the different films.

3. in the art of registering color-separation iilrns with a composite film on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and having a succes" sion of registered teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the lms, the method which comprises feeding the composite film to the belt, and feeding the color-separation films to the belt with the same teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the different color-separation films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, the color-separation films being fed intov contact with the composite film on the belt at sucl cessive locations along said path.,l and each color separation nlm leaving the belt in advance of the location where the next nlm is fed to the belt.

4. `The methodof forming multi-color cinematographic nlm by printing a .dye-absorptive nlm with differently dyed color-separation matrices,

` whichcomprisessucces'sivelybringing the matrices into contact with the film on a carrier which has a succession of register teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the nlm and matrices, charac terized by successively feeding the matrices to the film with the same teeth engaging the holes of the diferent lms corresponding to thesame recor )s oi the sequences respectivehi, whereby non-uniformity in the teeth throughout the length of the carrier has corresponding eect in the dierent printing operations.

5. In the art of forming multi-color cinemat @graphic iilm by printing a dye-absorptive nlm with diii'erently dyed color-separation matrices on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and havingteeth engaging the sprocket holes of the lm, the method which comprises successively feeding the color-separation matrices into contact with; the dye-absorptive iilm on the belt with the same teeth engaging the holes of the different lms corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby non-uniformity in successive teeth throughout the length of the belt has corresponding eil'ect in the regis-v tration of the diferent films.

6. In the art of fog multi-color'motion picture nlmby printing a dye-absorptive :ilm with fait' dyed color-separation matrices on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and hav-s ing teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the iilm, thevmethod which comprises successively feeding the color-separation matrices into contact with the dye-absorptive lm on the belt at h successive locations along said path, each colorographic lm by exposing the lrespective layers l of a multi-layer nlm to different color aspects and transferring the outside Ilayers to other bases to form'a'plurality of color-separation lms, the

method which comprises successively yfeeding the bases into contact with the multi-layer lm on a carrier has a' succession of register teeth naar@ 'lms corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively. whereby corresponding pictures of the different color-separation nlms bear substantially the same relation to their ad jacent sprocket holes notwithstanding non-uniformity in the teeth throughout the length of the carrier. i

8. In the art of forming multi-colored cinematographic nlm by exposing the respective layers of a multi-layer nlm to diierent color aspects and transferring the outside layers to other bases to form a plurality of color-separation lms, the method which comprises successively feeding the bases into contact vvith the multi-layer lm on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and having a succession of register teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the lms, adhesively joining the bases to the layers respectively and stripping oi the layers with the bases. the bases being fed to the belt with the same teeth engaging the holes of the different films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby corresponding pictures of the different color-separtion lms bear substantially. the same rela-n tion to their adjacent sprocket holes notwithstanding non-uniiormity in the teeth throughout the-length of the belt.

9. In the art of forming multi-colored cinematographic illm 'by exposing the respective layers of a. multi-layer lm to different color aspects and transferring the outside layers to other bases to form a plurality of lcolor-separation lms, the method which comprises successively feedingthe bases into contact with the multi-layer ln on an endless belt traveling in an orbital path and having a succession of register teeth engaging the sprocket holes of the ilms, adhesively joining the bases to the layers respectively and then stripping-off the layers with the bases, the bases being fed to the belt at successive locations along said path with the same teeth engaging the holes of the diierent films corresponding to the same records of the sequences respectively, whereby corresponding pictures of the different color-separation films bear substantially the same relation to their adjacent sprocket holes notwithstanding non-uniformity in the teeth throughout the length of the belt.

GERALD F. RACT 

